Are You Happy Now
by Emily Black
Summary: A short one-shot song fiction to the song "Are You Happy Now" by Michelle Branch. A much more in-character version. Sorry to fans of the original, but I took it down. Sorry sorry!


Disclaimer: Not mine! I don't own a thing. The characters, setting, details, everything, belong to JK Rowling. The song belongs to Michelle Branch. And if you didn't know, I am not Michelle Branch OR JK Rowling. I am Emily! Nice to meet you!  
  
A/N: I am an insane Snape/Hermione fan! But I am an insanely lazy Snape/Hermione fan. So this is a short little fic with the relationship pre-arranged. It's kind of nice because you can pair this with your favorite Snape/Hermione fic that sets up the relationship, then WHAMO- here's my fic after that! A big thanks to my great beta, larrytheguitar. She said that there were no mistakes her, but still, she had to read it. Do you know what this means? Either I am getting better at writing, or she was half-asleep when she beta-ed!  
  
Are You Happy Now  
  
Hermione Granger threw things into her bag. She had enough. She had taken on this apprenticeship hoping that it would be the best thing to ever happen to her. Now, because of him, she was throwing it away. Screw her dreams, she needed to get out. If she hadn't fallen in love with Severus Snape, none of this would happen.  
  
No, don't just walk away Pretending everything's ok And you don't care about me And I know there's just no use When all your lies become your truths and I don't care  
  
He had intended on letting her down easy. Saying that while he had thoroughly enjoyed the relationship, they had needed to be realistic. Sure, it was the last thing he had wanted to do. But he was afraid. He had never been in love before, and then she came into his life. Now she was leaving.  
  
Could you look me in the eye And tell me that you're happy now Would you tell it to my face or have I been erased Are you happy now? Are you happy now?  
  
Hermione muttered the password to the Headmaster's office and climbed the stairs, still wiping tears from her eyes. As she brought her hand to the door, a voice from inside called, "Miss Granger, do come in and tell me what's wrong." She entered to find Albus Dumbledore smiling sympathetically at her.  
  
"Headmaster, I'm leaving. I am sorry, but I find myself unable to complete my Potions apprenticeship." She said, a new wave of tears consuming her.  
  
"Now, now, my dear, don't let Severus scare you away. He can be-" the old man started, trying to discourage the best student Hogwarts had seen in years from running away.  
  
"No, Headmaster, I'm sorry," Hermione persisted. "I am going to finish packing." With that, she stood and left.  
  
You took all there was to take And left me with an empty plate And you don't care about it And I, I've given up this game And leaving you with all the blame cause I don't care  
  
She was convinced that he was hiding something, and he was trying to convince himself he wasn't. The night of Hermione's last Hogwarts feast was a rough one. She sat alone at the end of the staff table, unable to look at or talk to anyone. He sat at the opposite end, using all of his might not to look at her. One student, the year's Head Girl, was the only one to notice.  
  
Could you look me in the eye? And tell me that you're happy now Would you tell it to my face or have I been erased Are you happy now? Are you happy now?  
  
Hermione was bewitching all of her trunks when the youngest Weasley, Ginny, knocked on her door. Hermione let her in.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked without so much as a hello.  
  
"Nothing," Hermione said, trying and miserably failing to sound convincing.  
  
"Riiiight," Ginny said, adjusting her Head Girl badge and steering her best friend to the couch. "Spit it out, dear."  
  
In minutes, Hermione had told her friend of how Severus had dumped her and said it was for the best. Ginny reassured her that Severus was a prat, and if he was kidding himself, that hopefully was intelligent enough to realize it before it was too late. Then she left Hermione to her own devices, telling her to owl as soon as she could.  
  
Do you really have everything you want? You can never give something' you ain't got. You can't run away from yourself  
  
Severus sat in his office, still trying to decide if he had made the right decision. He wanted badly to think he did, but he couldn't bring himself to forget everything. The way she threw her head back and wrinkled up her nose when she laughed, the intense look of concentration when she read or focused on a potion, the way she looked at him like he was the best thing she had ever seen, the hurt look on her face when he told her it was over. That was a lot to get over. Perhaps he should at least properly say good- bye. "Yeah, it not like I'm going to crumble around her," he assured himself as he headed to the Entrance Hall.  
  
Could you look me in the eye? And tell me that you`re happy now Come on tell it to my face or have I been erased Are you happy now? Are you happy now?  
  
Severus was there before she was. When she arrived, he looked at her. Her cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes red. He tried to push the thought that it was him who caused her that pain.  
  
"What do you want?" she spat.  
  
"Just to wish you a nice life. Now, I have potions that someone neglected to look after," he spat. That was a low blow.  
  
"Excuse me, Professor Snape, but why are you doing this? Trying to hurt me? Trying to have the last laugh? Well, I hope you're happy," Hermione spat back. It had been the first time in months she had called him Professor. With that, she pushed open the front door and headed towards the front gates, trying once again, and again unsuccessfully to hold back tears.  
  
Would you look me in the eye? Could you look me in the eye? I've had that all I can take And I'm about to break Cause I'm happy now Are you happy now?  
  
At this point, Severus didn't know what to do. It was very much against his principles to chase after a woman, but this was Hermione Granger, not just some woman. He stood there for a moment, contemplating, when he heard a voice.  
  
"Severus, I happen to know that Miss Granger's train will be here in five minutes. Thought that you may want to know." Albus Dumbledore was standing on the main staircase. Next to him was the Head Girl.  
  
"Professor," she said, trying to sound convincing, "I thought you knew Hermione well enough to know that once she makes up her mind, she will not change it. The longer she has to brew on this decision, the less of a chance you have to get her back."  
  
He stood for a moment, hoping they would just go away. But with the crazy old headmaster, a fairly convincing and truthful girl, and his own brain telling him to go after her, he had no choice. He swiftly walked out and hurriedly headed down the path. With his long strides, he caught up just in time.  
  
"Hermione," he breathed. She turned. "Don't go. I'm not happy. Not without you. I was wrong. Forgive me, I was wrong."  
  
She dropped her small bag, which contained all of her shrunken trunks, and ran the few paces between them and into his arms. They embraced, and his lips found hers. It was a soft kiss, and reminded Hermione of their very first. She slipped away into her thoughts. Finally, they broke apart.  
  
"Don't think that you can get away with it that easily. You really hurt me. One kiss won't fix what was said, you know!" Hermione said, snapping out of her dream state.  
  
"Of course not," Severus said in a silky voice. "I was thinking of making it up to you by telling you that next year there is going to be an opening in the teaching slots. And that opening is reserved for you." Hermione looked at him in shock. He knew perfectly well that the only class she was interested in teaching was Potions. That meant he was not teaching.  
  
"Severus," she questioned. She thought he was going to give her some heartfelt apology, not give her his job and leave the school.  
  
"I have been talking to Albus," said the current Potions Master, "and he agrees that you deserve it. I had to give up a lot, though."  
  
"No doubt! Your JOB!!!" Hermione exploded. She couldn't even believe his calm reaction. "Are you out of your tree?"  
  
"No, actually," he said, a smile tugging at his lips. "Professor Fauquier is leaving this year, leaving an opening for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Now that I don't need to worry about my position as spy, I can take the job."  
  
"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. There was a bit of silence and then the smile on her face turned upside down. "I thought you had to give up a lot," she said, one eyebrow raised. Severus made note that he must be rubbing off on her before addressing her acquisition.  
  
"Well, I do consider my, err, application process to be a lot," he replied. She raised her eyebrow again. "I had to write a letter of apology to Mr. Potter for how I treated him in my classes." Hermione burst into laughter. "I don't find that funny, thank you," Severus retorted.  
  
"Perhaps I should bring this back inside," said the young woman, regaining her composer and gesturing to her bag.  
  
"I think that is a wonderful idea," Severus said, and the couple headed back to the castle. To their home.  
  
A/N: A lot of my reviewers thought the previous edition of this fiction was too OOC at the end, so I fixed it up! I hope you like! Thanks to my reviewers so far! And again to my beta, larrytheguitar. Also, at the moment I don't plan on writing a sequel, but maybe in a month or two. I am focusing on my other stories and I think that this is a good pause place. So I am sorry if you wanted more! I don't really have time. I have 4 other fics I am working on and I am taking three honors classes this year. Plus, I am on the swim team and its my season until November. Notes to my reviewers are here!  
  
Tevkins~ I guess that she isn't persuaded that easily anymore, hmm? I hope you like the new edition!  
  
Wonk~ I agree about the whole Snape/Herm thing. She is 18 in this story, so not to worry! I thank you for the suggestion to fix up the OOC-ness and for being so sweet and polite about it! I love reviewers like you.  
  
Emma-kitty~ The best? Are you kidding? I think it's my best so far, but the best ever? Hun, read more! LOL, I am so glad you enjoyed and hope you like the revision.  
  
Islandgirl801~ Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it a lot. I hope this makes up for my OOC farce! Sorry. 


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